


Pacific Kiss

by wiiped_outt



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji Is So Done, Akaashi Keiji-centric, Bokuaka - Freeform, Bokuto Koutarou & Kuroo Tetsurou Friendship, Bokuto Koutarou Being Bokuto Koutarou, Haikyuu - Freeform, How Do I Tag, M/M, Mentioned Kuroo Tetsurou, Summer Romance, haikyuu au, i forgot how to tag stories oops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:15:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25001491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wiiped_outt/pseuds/wiiped_outt
Summary: A forgotten swimsuit had never been so life-changing.Akaashi Keiji never thought he would miss a small town so much. He had seen so many towns, so many beaches, so many people. So why did this place stick out to him? The answer was simple: The other towns didn't have a tall, flirtatious, black- and white-haired boy that could make Akaashi fall in love.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 14
Kudos: 87





	1. Pretty Boy

**Author's Note:**

> hii ! i've been working on this story for the past month and i finally finished it. the chapters are uh short rip but here we go !! also there is a playlist for this story if you feel like listening to it, it's called pacific kiss » ba by alex is a big loser on spotify. ty :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto stared down at the screen. "Akaashi Keiji. . ." he muttered, saying it slowly as if trying to get a feel for the name. "I like it. A pretty name for a pretty boy."

Akaashi Keiji hated packing.

It didn't matter how, when, or why—he just did. Ever since he was eight years old, he's despised it, which was ironic considering that he and his family took some sort of trip every summer. They were usually just small road trips around Japan, and they lasted anywhere from a few days to a whole month. No matter the length of their trip, though, Akaashi refused to unpack his bags. He had already packed them once before the trip, so why would he undo all of his hard work just to have to pack everything back up at the end? There was no use getting comfortable, anyway, since they would just be leaving once their time there had ended. It all sounded like a waste of time and energy to him, so he just didn't bother.

This trip was no different. In fact, Akaashi was even more inclined to leave his bag unpacked since he and his family would be spending the vacation at the beach. Beaches have sand, and sand always gets everywhere—even on things that don't go anywhere near the beach. Akaashi didn't like sand at all, so he felt much better knowing his belongings were safe inside of his bag rather than in the possibly sand-filled drawers in the house. This wasn't his home and that meant Akaashi had no clue whether or not the previous guests had gotten sand everywhere. Unpacking simply wasn't worth the risk or time.

In addition to that, it was just so much easier to leave when he didn't have to pack his belongings again. When he unpacked, wherever he was staying seemed to feel much more like a home, rather than just a temporary place to sleep during the trip. That made it harder to leave, which was not what Akaashi needed.

And so, a day after his arrival, Akaashi was practically tearing apart his bag trying to find his swimsuit. His mom was calling his name from her place at the front door and his little sister was running around the hallway, excited to go swimming. Akaashi was supposed to be ready five minutes ago, but he was still frantically digging through his bag to find something that wasn't there.

Another minute of searching passed before he finally gave up. "I forgot to pack a swimsuit," he said loudly enough for his mom to hear.

His sister, Akina, laughed and bounded into his room. "Did you really forget to bring it? We're at a beach! It's kinda important."

"At least I don't need Mom to pack my bags for me."

"Maybe you do," she teased, sticking her tongue out and blowing a raspberry. She left and Akaashi stood up to follow her through the hallway so he could talk to his mom.

"I'm sor—"

Akaashi was cut off by his mom shoving a few bills into his hands. "There's a store a few blocks away. I think we passed it on our way to the house," she said. "Go buy yourself a swimsuit, then meet us over by the beach. We'll be right outside, okay?"

"Thank you, I will." Akaashi took the money and briefly bowed his head in gratitude before walking out the door.

Akaashi's parents had rented a nice beach house for the majority of the break. It was almost directly on the beach, which meant the ocean was visible from the house's front windows. The sound of waves lapping the shore was the only thing Akaashi could hear other than the sand crunching beneath his feet and the birds chirping in the distance. While he walked, he sighed peacefully to himself and observed the beauty the area held: the soft, reliable sound of forever-moving, green-blue waves, the warmth emanating from the tan sand, the bright blue sky with barely a cloud in sight, and the smell of salt in the air. It was all so comforting, inviting, even.

It only took him a few minutes to reach the store his mom had mentioned. It was a small little building, barely ten feet tall while the length was double that. It was also on the beach, just like the house, only it had a small, sandy parking lot on the side with a few umbrellas set up by the entrance, and it was beige, making it practically blend in with the sand around it. A kid was playing a few feet in front of it, building a small sandcastle with their mother.

As soon as he walked through the door, he was greeted by racks of colorful swimsuits to his left. He immediately turned to see them and began sifting through the options, hoping to get something plain.

Akaashi wanted to find a swimsuit as fast as possible so he could leave and get back to the house. Even though he didn't look necessarily forward to the sand, he was eager to go swimming. It might not have been the most fun thing to do—in his opinion—but it was better than sitting around all day. Plus, he was going to be in that house for a whole month, so he might as well get used to the water—

"Are you finding everything alright?"

Suddenly pulled out of his thoughts, Akaashi jumped at the new voice next to him. He turned to face the employee, ready to say yes, but instead found himself at a loss for words when he saw him.

The boy's eyes were bright and golden, almost like they had captured the sunshine within them, and he was smiling, making the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly. His hair was standing up and it was black and white, making Akaashi wonder whether it was dyed or not. He didn't know who the employee was or what was so strangely captivating about him, but Akaashi badly wanted to talk to him (though he would never admit it). Something about his happy face and kind tone was intriguing.

He looked away, remembering the employee's question. "Yes, thank you—"

"Are you new around here?" he asked, looking at Akaashi with eager curiosity.

"I am, why?"

"Oh, that's so cool! You see, I looked at you, and I was all like 'Hey, I don't recognize him', and then I walked over to you and got a chance to actually look at you. Then I was like 'Oh, yeah, I would recognize that pretty face anywhere', but I _didn't_ recognize it! And that's when I realized that you definitely aren't from around here!"

Overwhelmed by the speed at which the employee was talking, Akaashi took a few seconds to process everything before responding with a simple, "Right."

"Yep! I know everyone around here. Well, mostly everyone. That's the good thing about working at the best store around town and going to the beach pretty much every day!" he said energetically. "Anyway, I'm Bokuto Koutarou. Do you want me to show you around town once my shift ends? I still have about an hour left, but I'll be free all day after that!"

"Ah, sorry, I have somewhere to be today."

"Oh, that's okay! I can just show you around tomorrow. I'm off anyway, so we'll be able to take all the time we need!"

"Okay," Akaashi said in a monotone. Though his voice didn't show it, he was surprised to hear himself agree; In most situations like this, he would have said no since he knows he can figure it out himself. He prefers that, honestly, because he can go wherever he wants to when he explores on his own, instead of having to follow around a person like a lost child. In this case, however, Akaashi didn't mind the idea of following Bokuto around for a day. He didn't understand why, but he wanted to know more about Bokuto. He wanted to spend more time with him—maybe he could help make the trip a little more fun, especially considering Akaashi didn't know anyone else here besides his family.

This could be good.

"Here, I'll give you my phone number so you can text me when you're free tomorrow," Bokuto said. Akaashi handed him his phone and he quickly added himself into his contact list. "Anyway, what's your name?"

Akaashi held out his open palm instead of answering, and Bokuto placed his own unlocked phone in Akaashi's hand. The shorter boy went into Bokuto's contacts and added himself before trading back devices.

Bokuto stared down at the screen. "Akaashi Keiji. . ." he muttered, saying it slowly as if trying to get a feel for the name. "I like it. A pretty name for a pretty boy."

Akaashi felt his face heat up at the comment, but he looked away and brushed it off, feigning indifference. "I'll text you when I'm free tomorrow."

"Okay! I look forward to it," Bokuto said, grinning.

He walked away and Akaashi went back to searching through the racks of swimsuits. He grabbed a plain black one and paid for it quickly, then left the store after one last glance back at Bokuto, who smiled and waved goodbye.

As Akaashi walked back to the beach house, his thoughts kept wandering back to Bokuto; his energetic personality and charisma was so enticing that Akaashi couldn't help but wonder about him—plus, nobody had ever called Akaashi pretty.

He wasn't sure why, but Akaashi suddenly found himself wishing the next day would come much faster. He rushed home in hopes of passing the time quicker.


	2. Talking Under Pink Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I can see why you like it here so much. It's really peaceful."
> 
> "Yeah, it is. Especially when watching the sunset with a pretty boy," Bokuto said, staring out at the ocean.

Akaashi clicked off his phone and stood up from his seat on the front porch. He had gone outside to enjoy the early afternoon peace at the beach since there usually weren't many people, but now it was nearly three o'clock, and the beach was starting to fill up more. The moment the amount of people surpassed fifteen, Akaashi decided he had had enough and texted Bokuto to tell him he was free. The boy had responded within a few minutes with a meeting point and Akaashi was quickly on his way.

As he walked across the beach, jittery butterflies bubbled in Akaashi's stomach, making him both nervous (even though he had no reason to be) and excited.

He approached the meeting point—the store Bokuto worked at—and a loud "Akaashiii!" tore through the air, the vowels stretched out dramatically. Bokuto ran up to Akaashi, a wide grin on his face.

"Hi."

Bokuto didn't waste any time for pleasantries. "So I was thinking we could go check out a few of the shops around town and end the day with ice cream. Does that sound good?"

"Sure," Akaashi said. "But I didn't bring any money. I can go get my wallet if you want."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind paying."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep! Especially for a cute boy like you," Bokuto added with a wink. "Alright, let's get on with our adventure! Follow me, Akaashi!"

With Bokuto a few steps ahead of Akaashi, the two set off to see the town. Akaashi found the silence between them somewhat awkward, but Bokuto didn't seem to mind one bit, which was comforting in its own way. Every now and then, Bokuto would stop walking, point out the buildings they were standing by, give some background on them, and maybe even run in to say hi to the employees—but they were always back on their way shortly.

Neither of the two bought anything, though Bokuto kept telling Akaashi he should get a souvenir, "or something." Akaashi had to keep reminding Bokuto he didn't bring his wallet, and then Bokuto would slouch his shoulders and frown, mumbling something about being upset he didn't bring enough money to buy something for Akaashi. Each time Bokuto fell into a mood like this, Akaashi would sigh and say, "You're already paying for the ice cream, you really don't need to buy me anything else." Bokuto only frowned harder at that, so Akaashi added, "If you really want to buy something for me, why don't you just get me something from your store?" and then, "You don't have to, though. I don't need anything. Souvenirs take up space."

At that, Bokuto perked up again and grinned, going back to dragging Akaashi along with reborn energy. Eventually, they were satisfied with how much of the town they had already seen, and Bokuto tugged Akaashi toward his favorite ice cream shop.

"Okay! Order whatever you want," Bokuto said with a grin. They had only just entered, and the single employee behind the counter was already moving, putting together a cone. "Wow, Konoha, you have my order memorized!"

"You come here all the time," the employee responded, his tone happy. "Who's your friend?"

"His name's Akaashi! He's visiting."

"Oh, cool!" The employee, Konoha, finished Bokuto's cone and handed it to him before sliding over to the side of the counter Akaashi was standing by. "What can I get for you, Akaashi?"

"I'll just have a vanilla cone, please."

"Just that? No sprinkles or anything?"

"No, thanks."

"Coming right up." He put the ice cream cone together quickly and handed it to Akaashi while Bokuto paid at the other end of the counter.

They sat down at a small, two-person table and started eating their cold treats. Bokuto kept the awkward silence at bay by telling story after story about some of his memories in the town, like how he found a giant octopus on the beach and the time he sprained his ankle from jumping out of a moving vehicle (he said it was a dare) when he was thirteen. To prove it, he moved his ankle around to show Akaashi how it had clicked ever since.

"You know how I said it was a dare?" he continued excitedly.

"Yeah," Akaashi said.

"Well, it was my friend Kuroo who dared me to jump! He was just like 'Hey, I bet you won't do it', and I'm no coward so I did it, but only after making him promise to do it with me. He ended up belly flopping 'cause he's stupid.Luckily, we were in the sand, so it was fine. And I still like him even though he's an idiot."

"Wow."

"I know, right? It was so cool!"

"That's not why I said wow, Bokuto."

"Mhm, sure. Anyway, Kuroo was sore for days after that. It was so hilarious." He finished his ice cream and stood up from his seat, ready to leave. Akaashi, who had finished minutes earlier, joined him.

Bokuto walked out the door and turned down the sidewalk, leaving Akaashi standing by the door and glancing the other way. When Bokuto waved at him to follow, Akaashi said, "We're supposed to go that way to get to the beach house, I think."

"I know," Bokuto said, "but there's something else I wanted to show you."

"Okay."

The two continued walking, this time going down the same path. Akaashi quickly fell into step with Bokuto and walked alongside him.

The sidewalk soon faded away into pale sand as they made their way onto the beach. By then, the sun was starting to sink through the sky, nearly below the horizon already. The sky was a combination of beautiful colors that reflected off of the ocean and made the clouds pink. Above the water, the moon was bright and rising.

The area of the beach they were at was mostly deserted and there were no buildings for almost the entire stretch of land Akaashi could see, though there were a few hills next to him. He took a moment to enjoy the serene nature before Bokuto called his name.

Akaashi turned to face him and saw him standing by the base of the closest hill. It curved upwards slowly, creating a nice, easy-to-climb hill with a flat top that stretched over its portion of the beach. The end overlooking the water was cut short, creating a harsh drop off.

"What?"

"Come here!" Bokuto said, stepping onto the hill and climbing up it. There were a few rocks he casually avoided, as if he knew the layout of the place by heart. "You won't regret it!"

Akaashi crossed his arms and did as told, following Bokuto across the sand and up the hill. Once they reached the top, it flattened out, making it safe enough to walk near the shear drop off without worrying about losing your balance. Bokuto practically danced his way to the edge, causing Akaashi to yell at him about being careful. He stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry at him, at which Akaashi rolled his eyes.

Bokuto stopped jumping around recklessly once he reached the actual edge. He sat down and looked back at Akaashi, silently begging him to join.

Wary of the drop off, Akaashi cautiously inched his way towards Bokuto, hesitant to get closer. As soon as he was within Bokuto's reach, he held out his hand for Akaashi to take. He grabbed it and brought himself next to Bokuto, sitting down carefully as he squeezed his hand tightly in fear.

"Aw, are you scared of heights, Akaashi?" Bokuto asked in a half-concerned, half-teasing tone. His legs were hanging off the edge, kicking at the air like a child's.

"No," the other said, taking his hand back. "I just don't necessarily care for them."

"So you _are_ scared of heights! Don't worry, I'll protect you!"

"Protect me from what? It's not like the fifty-foot drop is just going to come out and attack us."

"You can never be too sure."

"It's not a corporeal thing, Bokuto."

"What does that word even mean?"

"It doesn't have a body, so you can't fight it."

"Not with that attitude."

Akaashi sighed and rubbing his temple. "Well, thank you, I guess."

"No problem! The drop doesn't stand a chance against me."

A small chuckle escaped Akaashi's lips at the statement. "Whatever you say."

Bokuto grinned. "So, do you like it?"

"Yes, the cliff is fine. Why'd you take me up here, anyway?"

"I, uh, like to come here when I need some time away from everything. I know it's not a big part of the town so there's kind of no point to me showing you this, but I though it would be nice."

"Oh, thank you. I can see why you like it here so much. It's really peaceful."

"Yeah, it is. Especially when watching the sunset with a pretty boy," Bokuto said, staring out at the ocean. "Anyway, tell me about yourself."

"Um, what do you want to know?"

"Anything and everything that makes you, well, you. What movie practically made you the person you are today? What nicknames do you have and why? What do you do for fun? You know, that type of stuff."

Akaashi paused for a minute to think. "My favourite movie was The Lion King. I don't really have a lot of nicknames, though one person used to call me Red. I play volleyball and read in my free time."

"The Lion King is great—wait. You play volleyball?"

"Yes, I'm a setter."

"That's so cool! I'm the ace and captain. But I don't get to play much over the break because there aren't a lot of visitors who play volleyball and all of my teammates are out of town for the holiday."

"Do you play with your school?" Akaashi asked.

"Yeah. I'm a third year."

"Oh. I'm still a second year."

"What? I'm older than you? No way."

"I know, I don't believe it either."

Bokuto looked up at the darkening sky. The sun had fallen beneath the horizon almost entirely, so light was disappearing fast. "Should you get home soon?"

"Probably," Akaashi answered, waiting for Bokuto to stand up so he could take his hand for extra security. He just really didn't want to fall, which was completely reasonable.

"I'll walk you home so you don't get lost."

"You don't have to—"

"I want to."

The two descended the hill and walked all the way back to the beach house Akaashi was staying in. The walk took a little over twenty minutes, and by the time they finally found themselves there, the sun had disappeared from the sky completely.

"Do you want to stay the night?" Akaashi asked, glancing around at the darkness.

"No, it's alright. I know this place like the back of my hand; I'll be fine walking through the dark."

"Okay. Well, thank you for showing me around. It was really helpful."

"It was no problem. It was nice getting to talk to you," Bokuto said happily. "Plus I got to look at your pretty face more."

Akaashi silently thanked the lack of light so his blush wasn't visible. "Get home safely, Bokuto. Goodnight."


	3. You Were More Than Just a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But Bokuto. . . . Akaashi didn't know why, but some strange part of him wanted him to try. He wanted to be friends with Bokuto and he wanted to make an effort for him. They could become friends, and maybe Akaashi could finally find someone that would stay.
> 
> That hope was wonderful to Akaashi, at least in the moment. The feeling spread from his heart all through his body, making his lips curve upwards into a small (but unstoppable) smile and his brain go fuzzy, in the best possible way.

Upon feeling his phone buzz in his pocket, Akaashi pulled out his phone and sighed, reading the message. Even through the screen, Bokuto managed to be show the same energy level as a child.

**[ 1:32 pm ] Bokuto:** hey hey hey !!!

**[ 1:33 pm ] Akaashi:** Hi.

**[ 1:33 pm ] Bokuto:** :0

**[ 1:33 pm ] Bokuto:** that was fasttt

**[ 1:35 pm ] Bokuto:** anyway, i was thinking there's not really a whole lot of stuff to do around here besides swimming and you've probably done a lot of swimming already sooo i was wondering if you wanted to go to the arcade or something loll

Akaashi took a moment to process the message. Usually, the lack of punctuation and capitalization would have unnerved him badly, but he didn't care as much when it was Bokuto. He typed a response quickly, standing up from the couch as he did. His sister grumbled at him to sit back down, but he brushed her off and sent the message without a word.

**[ 1:36 pm ] Akaashi:** Sure. I'll meet you at the arcade at two.

~~~

Bokuto let out a loud cheer as the screen flashed "VICTORY!" at him. He had made it his personal goal to beat every game in the arcade, and he was on the eighth (out of thirty). Around him, few games were actually being used, which was surprising, considering it was a Friday afternoon in the middle of summer. Perks of being in a small town, huh?

"Did you see that? That was so cool!" Bokuto shouted.

"Yes, it was." Akaashi's voice was so monotonous that his statement could have been taken either sarcastically or genuinely, and Bokuto decided to believe the latter. (As did Akaashi, though he didn't admit it.)

At Akaashi's words, Bokuto flashed him a bright smile and punched his fist up in the air. "Yes! I'm the best." Even though the arcade was dark due to the black walls and dark floor, Bokuto's grin seemed to light up the room.

He practically jumped over to the ninth game, so eager to continue his streak of eight straight wins that he accidentally left Akaashi to pick up the tickets he had won. This next one was a racing game, and Bokuto knew he could get first place. . . . Or so he thought.

Three races and three loud "Last Place"'s later, Bokuto stepped away from the console, his head low and his shoulders slouched. He turned away from Akaashi, posed dramatically with one hand on his chest and the other on his forehead, and said, "I can't do it. Don't let me play anymore, Akaashi. Find someone better to win."

Akaashi just sighed and crossed his arms. "You're the only one playing right now, so you're automatically the best at it. I can't find someone better since there's no one—"

With wide, surprised eyes, Bokuto turned back around to see Akaashi, sudden realization dawning on him. "You're right! I _am_ the best!" He went to the console again. "Watch, I'll win this round!" His hair even seemed to stand taller as he pressed the play button.

Sure enough, Bokuto won, getting first place by a long shot. He beat the next three games with ease, shouting about his greatness and, unsurprisingly, getting louder with every victory cheer. Even though Bokuto was being incessantly noisy, Akaashi was glad he was back to his usual, energetic self.

Suddenly, Bokuto paused when he reached the next game. It was a giant claw machine, one that was taller than him by at least a foot. Inside, giant stuffed animals were lounging about, covering the walls and floor within the cube. Smaller toys were hidden in between the larger ones, staring up at the ceiling as if watching for the claw to choose them.

"How do I win this one?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Akaashi thought for a moment. "Maybe you choose a toy, and if you get it, you win, but if you don't, you lose."

"Whoa, Akaashi! That's so smart!" Bokuto said, face full of awe. "Hm . . . which stuffie do I want? Wait, you should choose!"

"What? Why me?"

"Because you helped me figure out the way to win!"

"Oh, okay." He pointed to a medium-sized toy by the side of the cage. "That one. It won't be too hard, but it won't be easy either."

"Anything for you," Bokuto smirked. He began cleverly moving the controllers, driving the giant claw toward the toy. He glanced around to make sure the claw was in a good spot, pressed the drop button, and leaned back to watch as it picked up the stuffed toy, smiling up at Akaashi. The claw dropped it into the prize bin and Bokuto grabbed it, handing it to Akaashi, who took it with his free hand. (His other was carrying the tickets Bokuto had accumulated.) "Why an owl?" he asked.

"I like owls."

"Really?" Bokuto said eagerly. "Owls are so cool!"

Akaashi plainly nodded in agreement. "Well, you won that game. That makes thirteen wins."

"Yep! Only seventeen more to go."

~~~

After two more hours at the arcade, Bokuto finally beat every game. He had racked up so many tickets Akaashi was struggling to carry them all and had taken to wrapping them around his shoulders, until Bokuto grabbed them to cash them in and check out the prize booth. He spent all 1873 tickets on candy, which Akaashi found highly concerning but didn't bother to stop.

Once Bokuto was done, he dragged Akaashi out of the arcade and back into the fresh, salty sea air. "That was great!" he yelled, putting a piece of candy into his mouth.

"It was," Akaashi said. "Thank you for suggesting it."

"Of course!" he shouted happily. "Wait, if you had so much fun, why did you stand still and watch the whole time?"

"I prefer that to actually being part of things. It's easier that way."

"Oh, okay," Bokuto said, continuing on, unfazed. The two had started walking back to the beach, which was only about fifteen minutes away from the arcade. "Hey, Akaashi?" Bokuto turned his head to look at him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why here?"

"What?"

"Why are you visiting this town here?" he asked. "I'm just curious since there are other beaches in Japan."

"My mom said that this town had the only beach she hadn't yet visited in Japan, so now we're here. I don't really mind, though," he added. "I like it here. It's nice."

"Aw, Akaashi, that's so sweet!"

Akaashi rolled his eyes, clutching his new stuffed toy closer to his chest. "Oh, also, thank you for the toy—Wait, what are you doing?"

"Say cheese!" Bokuto held up his phone, taking a quick photo of Akaashi before stretching his arm up into the air so the smaller boy couldn't reach it. Since he was just an inch shorter, his fingertips nearly reached Bokuto's, but not quite."You were too cute to not take a picture! I want to remember this!"

Akaashi glared at him, crossing his arms in bitter defeat while Bokuto glanced down at his phone, cursing when he saw the time. "I'm sorry, Akaashi, but I have to run, my shift starts in twenty minutes and I still need to get to the store. I'll text you later, alright?"

"Okay. Goodbye, Bokuto."

"Bye, cutie!"

He ran off, abandoning the sidewalk to cut through an empty road. Akaashi was left in silence, suddenly alone with his wandering mind while he continued to walk back to the beach house. He didn't entirely understand the way he was feeling—bunches of little butterflies were fluttering in his stomach at the thought of Bokuto complimenting him with something as simple as "cute." It was a strange, exhilarating feeling, all while being utterly terrifying, making the jittery butterflies fly both excitedly and nervously.

Akaashi wanted to talk to Bokuto more, not only to figure out what made him so intriguing and whether his hair was dyed or not, but also because he felt ecstatic at just the idea of hanging out with him, getting closer, even becoming actual friends.

Akaashi had never been one to keep friends for long. Ever since he started school, he had moved around from person to person, becoming temporary friends with them by sitting together at lunch or playing together outside of school. But once he moved to junior high, he stopped making an effort to have friends. He knew that they were going to leave—everyone always did. And it hurt. So, he stopped trying.

But Bokuto. . . . Akaashi didn't know why, but some strange part of him _wanted_ him to try. He _wanted_ to be friends with Bokuto and he _wanted_ to make an effort for him. They could become friends, and maybe Akaashi could finally find someone that would stay.

That hope was wonderful to Akaashi, at least in the moment. The feeling spread from his heart all through his body, making his lips curve upwards into a small (but unstoppable) smile and his brain go fuzzy, in the best possible way.


	4. You Are the Cause of My Euphoria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two had gotten used to being around each other since they were together so often. And, undeniably, feelings were growing; changing. Akaashi felt strange around Bokuto in the way one feels before going on a rollercoaster: Nervous, maybe even sick, like butterflies are dancing in their stomach, but also excited and happy. Akaashi couldn't help but feel eager whenever he and Bokuto were going to hang out—he wanted to spend as much time with him as he could, not only because his time there was limited, but also because he felt joy whenever he was around Bokuto. A single person hadn't made him that happy in a long, long time, and he didn't want to let that go.

Akaashi was sitting on the front porch, enjoying the sound of the waves while reading a new book he had bought at the store. Footsteps coming his way made him look up, only to see Bokuto walking towards the beach house while glancing around at the house's exterior. His hands were clasped behind him as he noticed a small bird's nest above the front door.

"Hi, Bokuto."

"Akaashi!" he said, focusing his eyes on the dark-haired boy. "Are you busy?"

"No," he answered bluntly.

"Good!" Bokuto grabbed Akaashi's hand and pulled him off of the porch. "Let's hang out!"

Akaashi felt a burst of happiness at the notion but simply nodded. He set his book down and followed Bokuto away from the house and across the beach.

"Bokuto," Akaashi said quietly after a few minutes of walking.

"Yeah?"

"You're still holding my hand."

"Oh, sorry!" he yelped, letting go quickly.

"It's fine."

Akaashi put his (now free) hands behind his back and sighed almost inaudibly. The feel of Bokuto's hand in his own—the warmth, the touch, the gentle tug when he got excited and accidentally walked too far in front of Akaashi—had been nice, and Akaashi was beginning to miss it.

He brushed it off, deciding it wasn't something he needed to worry about. They kept walking.

~~~

"Welcome back," Bokuto said, sweeping his arms open as he reached the flat top of the cliff he had shown Akaashi on his tour.

Akaashi looked around at the flat top. Now that he was seeing it in plain daylight, he saw just how beautiful it really was. Tall, wavy grass sprung up from the ground, spouting small flowers in between. A scrawny tree was standing near one side of the cliff, tilting dangerously over the edge.

Bokuto took a seat in the grass, patting to a spot in front of him for Akaashi to sit as well. He did, then started fiddling with his fingers instinctively. The wind blew across the sky, ruffling their hair and making the grass sway.

Akaashi turned to look at the ocean as he spoke. "Bokuto, why is this your favourite place, as you called it?"

He grinned as if he had been anticipating the question. "Okay, this is going to sound really cheesy, so don't laugh. Promise."

"I promise I won't laugh."

"Well, I used to watch a lot of movies, and the main character almost always had some special place or somewhere they went to when they needed to feel safe, plus, a lot of times, it was linked to another character they were close with. When I was younger, I thought that was the coolest thing. Then one day I was walking around the beach—I think this was, like, four years ago—and I saw this place! I climbed to the top and was just like, 'Oh, yeah. This is it' and boom!"

Akaashi just nodded along, unsure of how to respond to his friend's wild ideas.

"Oh, fun fact, you know how I said the characters' places usually had memories of or some sort of link to someone they were close to?"

"Yeah."

"Ever since I've been coming to this place, I haven't told anyone else about it because I want there to just be one special person I think of when I'm up here."

Akaashi turned the words over in his head, a question bubbling to his tongue in a whir. "So why am I here, rather than someone else?"

"I just . . . had a feeling that you were the person I want to remember."

Akaashi felt his heart melt at the statement. It was so sweet, so cute, so carefree. "Ah, well, thank you for that," he said, continuing to mess with his fingers.

Suddenly, he noticed a small patch of colorful flowers with long, bright green stems. He grabbed a few and began threading them together, earning a curious look from Bokuto.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm making a flower crown. My sister taught me how and I think she'd really like it if she had one of her own."

"That's so cool! Can you teach me? Please?"

"Sure. Grab a few flowers, preferably ones with longer stems." Akaashi waited while Bokuto did as told. "Okay, now wrap the first one around the second one once, like this." He held up his own crown in-the-making. "Yeah, you got it."

"I'm doing it!"

"Yes, you are."

"This is so cool!"

"It is," Akaashi said. "Now you keep doing that over and over until you have a whole crown. I can help you at the end, though."

"I can do it!"

"Hm, alright."

"So," Bokuto said, twisting another flower into the crown, "how old is your sister?"

"She's nine. Her name's Akina."

"That's cool. I don't have any siblings, but sometimes I think it would be cool to have some."

"They're fine until they get on your nerves. Then they suck." Akaashi tied the end of his crown and held it up in his hands, turning it around and observing it.

"That makes sense," Bokuto said. "Wait, you're already finished?"

"Yeah. Akina made me practice a lot back home."

"Wow. What can't you do, Akaashi? You're so cool."

"Um—"

"Oh! I finished."

"Do you need help tying it off?"

"No! Actually, uh, maybe. Yeah. Akaashi, can you please help me?"

He gently took the crown from Bokuto's hands and tied the two stems at the end together. He handed it back to the Bokuto, who put it on his own head eagerly. One of the yellow flowers was close to falling off and a stem was poking into his hair, but he looked adorable. The crown was slightly lopsided against his tall hair and he was smiling so brightly it seemed he had never felt prouder of himself. Akaashi could have stared at that smile for days if it weren't for the words that came from Bokuto.

"Akaashi! You should put your crown on," he said, "to, um, make sure it's good enough for your sister!"

"Oh, that's a good idea." Akaashi carefully placed the delicate crown in his hair, making sure it didn't get damaged in the process.

Bokuto practically stopped breathing. Akaashi . . . wow. Akaashi was absolutely stunning. His pretty face, his slender frame, the way the crown sat on his head so carefully—almost as if it were meant for him—all made him look perfect.

"Hey, Akaashi," Bokuto whispered, his smile almost as evident in his tone as it was on his face.

"Yes, Bokuto?"

"You're really pretty."

"Thank you," he said quietly, hiding the pink blush creeping across his ears and face. He moved to take the flower crown off, but Bokuto put his hand out and stopped him.

"Keep it on."

Akaashi didn't argue.

~~~

The two ended up back at Akaashi's rental house, sitting on the floor together in his room. They had both run out of things to talk about, but they didn't want to leave each other, so Akaashi was reading while Bokuto was on his phone, playing a game. Out of nowhere, Bokuto stood up and dashed to one of the drawers in the room, tearing it open aggressively. He continued to open each drawer until he had no more to open, and then he turned to Akaashi, exasperated.

"I was staring at your bag and thought about how excessively full it is, that's how I realized that you haven't unpacked anything. But it really is full! So, come on. I'm going to help you unpack."

"Why?"

"Because you aren't going to do it yourself, Akaashi."

"And?"

"It'll be fun! You won't even have to do most of the work."

Akaashi grumbled about the decision, but he obliged nonetheless. Bokuto pulled him up and the two started moving around the room, tossing things into a drawer in unspoken coordination. (Akaashi wanted to try to keep everything in just one drawer to save space.)

As they worked, Bokuto spoke. "I have two questions. One: Why didn't you unpack?"

"It's a waste of time."

"What do you mean? No, it isn't!"

"I have to pack everything up at home, unpack it when I get there, pack my bags again when the trip is done, and then unpack once we get back. That's four times. Why would I do that when I really only have to do it twice?" Akaashi said, placing a folded shirt into the open drawer.

"Because it adds to the trip! That would be like never setting the perfect volleyball because you're worried you'll do it wrong. You won't be comfortable here—"

"That's the point. If I don't get comfortable, it's easier to leave."

"Well, that's stupid. I think the idea of leaving makes the trip all the more memorable. 'Cause it's, like, constantly looming over you, so you try to do as much as you can in the short amount of time you have, and end up having a ton of fun, you know what I'm saying?"

"Kind of."

"You'll be able to enjoy the trip more this way. It won't be something you just experience and then forget about."

Akaashi thought for a few seconds before responding. "I guess you're right."

Bokuto put the empty duffel bag by the bed and closed the drawer, placing the finishing touch—the stuffed toy owl he had won for Akaashi at the arcade—atop the dresser as he did.

Bokuto stepped back to admire his handiwork and grinned. "All done!"

"Thank you."

"Of course! I don't want this to be a trip you just, uh, get over and forget about."

"I don't think I will," Akaashi said truthfully. "Oh, what was your other question? You said there were two, right?"

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot about that. Are you ticklish?"

"No, why?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. . . ."

Bokuto lunged for Akaashi, wrapping his arms around the other boy tightly as he struggled.

"Bokuto—Bokuto, what are you doing?" he said, now laying against his bed with Bokuto above him, both grinning happily (though Akaashi was a bit scared). "Bokuto, no, I'm not ticklish—"

Akaashi burst out laughing as soon as Bokuto started tickling his stomach, having ignored his denial. He was smart enough to know that anyone in their right mind wouldn't admit that they were ticklish.

The wholesome sound of Akaashi's joyous laughter filled the room. It wasn't a loud laugh, but it wasn't quiet—not quite a booming sound, but definitely not a whisper, either.

If you asked Bokuto what his favourite sound was, he would have said Akaashi's laugh in a heartbeat. Then, he would have said, "Wait, no. It's Akaashi's voice," with the smile of a lovesick puppy, because that was basically what he was. This lovesick boy couldn't get over the sound of Akaashi's laugh (or his voice). He was so awestruck and amazed with his beauty that he was practically frozen.

He paused the tickling to look down at Akaashi and smile. "You have a great laugh."

"You say that about everything."

"Because it's true. You . . . you're amazing, Akaashi."

"I'm not sure about that," he said.

"Well, I am, and I'm older than you, which means you have to listen to me," Bokuto said smugly.

"Says who?"

"Says me."

Akaashi rolled his eyes at the comment, but smiled anyway, laughing softly.

~~~

After that, Bokuto and Akaashi hung out almost every day. Akaashi would be able to tell you Bokuto's favourite color (green), least favourite word (leaving), and the story of how he became interested in volleyball (he got hit in the face with a volleyball once when he was a kid and decided he would get revenge on the ball), but he still didn't know whether or not his hair was dyed (and it was bugging him to no end). Akaashi found it amazing how much he wished to explore every inch of Bokuto's soul, and more.

Bokuto and Akaashi spent a lot of time together on the cliff. They had a picnic (once), watched the sunset (multiple times), made more flower crowns (twice), and sat back to watch the clouds (again, once). On the days where they weren't at the cliff, they were either at Akaashi's rental house, the beach, or the store Bokuto worked at. Akaashi had even been helping out there after Bokuto begged the manager to let him. Since Akaashi couldn't run the cash register, he usually shelved things, and Bokuto stayed by his side whenever he wasn't helping a customer. One time, Akaashi was trying to put a large box on the top shelf, but he wasn't able to lift it up all the way and Bokuto rushed to him to help push it onto the shelf. Bokuto ended up right behind Akaashi, so close that his chest was touching the other's back. Akaashi was grumbling about how he was only one inch shorter than Bokuto, but the other boy was too busy freaking out about how close he was to Akaashi to say anything. Akaashi, who had been facing the shelf, turned around and ended up almost running into Bokuto. They were both blushing and awkwardly trying to get around each other until a costumer walked into the aisle and coughed to get their attention. (After that, Bokuto let Akaashi put the boxes up on his own.)

The two had gotten used to being around each other since they were together so often. And, undeniably, feelings were growing; changing. Akaashi felt strange around Bokuto in the way one feels before going on a rollercoaster: Nervous, maybe even sick, like butterflies are dancing in their stomach, but also excited and happy. Akaashi couldn't help but feel eager whenever he and Bokuto were going to hang out—he wanted to spend as much time with him as he could, not only because his time there was limited, but also because he felt joy whenever he was around Bokuto. A single person hadn't made him that happy in a long, long time, and he didn't want to let that go.


	5. Feel Like Summer and I Don't Wanna Miss You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A part of him wished that this was in fact a date—he wouldn't mind, considering it was with Bokuto. But the other part of him, the part that was rational, reminded him why it couldn't be.
> 
> Just like Akaashi had told his sister, he would be leaving in just over a week. He couldn't do that to Bokuto—or to himself.

"I want that one!" Akina said excitedly, her eyes wide while she smiled and pointed at the counter, which was filled with different ice cream flavors.

"Cookies and cream?" Akaashi asked.

Next to him, his little sister was jumping up and down eagerly like the child she was. "Yeah!" Her brown pigtails were bouncing around on her head as she hopped.

"One cookies and cream cone, please," Akaashi told the employee behind the counter.

The employee, a boy with spiky brown hair, nodded and started preparing the ice cream. Akaashi turned to look at his little sister, who was grinning as she watched the worker with awe.

"Can I have sprinkles too? Pleeease?"

Akaashi picked up Akina and put her on his side. "Tell the nice employee yourself."

While she repeated her request, she stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. Akaashi just rolled his eyes at the nine-year-old's attempt at being "too adorable to refuse," or so she called it.

Once the ice cream was ready, Akina grabbed it and ran outside of the building, leaving Akaashi alone as he paid. He did so quickly and then followed the path his sister had taken (out the door and around the corner). She was sitting on a bench, eating her ice cream happily while talking to a familiar teen.

"Akina! You can't just run off like that."

"Mm, you didn't stop me," she said, sticking out her tongue in childish mockery. "Look who I found!" she added. "He looks like the guy who came to the house yesterday. Didn't you, like, talk about him after you came home—"

Akaashi shushed her. "Hi, Bokuto."

"Akaashi!" Bokuto said. "I found your sister."

"Hi!" Akina said. "Wait, Bokuto, how did you know we'd be here?"

"I didn't." Bokuto rubbed the back of his neck instinctively. "I was looking, uh, for your brother."

Akaashi laughed under his breath and sat down next to Akina. Her feet didn't reach the sidewalk, so she was swinging her legs out under the bench. Akaashi was sure that if Bokuto's legs weren't so long, he would be doing the exact same thing.

"Why did you need to talk to my brother? Are you going to ask him out or something?" She gasped at the idea. "Akaashi! If he asks you out, you have to say yes! He's super cool!"

Both Akaashi and Bokuto's faces grew warm at the suggestion.

"N-no," Akaashi answered, "he's not going to ask me out."

Bokuto stumbled over his words for a few seconds, but when he actually spoke, he sounded slightly disappointed—just enough for Akaashi to notice (but not enough for him to stress about it). "Yeah. I just wanted to see if your brother wanted to go to the firework festival tonight," he said, "a-as friends. Since you guys are visiting this small town, I thought it would be cool if you saw some of the attractions."

"That sounds like a date!" Akina shouted, eyes wide with excitement.

"It's not."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so," Akaashi retorted before turning to Bokuto. "Sure, I'd love to go to the festival."

"Great!" Bokuto said, his lips curving into a bright smile. "I'll pick you up at seven. We can walk there."

"I'll see you then."

~~~

Akaashi was ready to go by 6:30.

Well, he thought he was. Every few minutes he would put on a new outfit, feel good about it for a second, and then change again. He wanted to look perfect for the festival, and even though he kept reminding himself it was just a casual hang out, he was stressed. So stressed that when Akina came into his room, she grimaced at the sight of him.

"Need help getting ready for your date?" she asked.

Akaashi was sitting on the bed, head in his hands and folded clothes laying around him. (He still wanted to be neat even though he was stressed out of his mind.) "It's not a date."

She ignored him as she walked further into the room. "You're not usually one to stress about your outfits," Akina said, pulling open the drawer, "and you never unpack. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing."

She gasped excitedly. "It's because of Bokuto! You must really, really like him! I knew it!"

"No, I don't."

Akina started pulling out shirts and a few pairs of pants, holding them up in front of her and trying to see which ones looked better together. "Are you sure? You seemed really happy to see him earlier."

"No, I . . . I can't. I can't like him."

"What? Why not?"

"Because we're going to leave in a week and a half," Akaashi said as his sister handed him a shirt.

"Oh, yeah," Akina sighed. "Just, like, kidnap him and take him with us."

"Akina, that's illegal."

"Not if you don't get caught!"

"We're not kidnapping Bokuto."

"You're no fun. Here, try this." She tossed a pair of jeans at Akaashi and he caught them easily.

Akina walked out of the room and closed the door, giving Akaashi the privacy to change. In his hands, he had a plain white shirt and grey jeans. He put them on quickly and looked at himself in the mirror—he didn't necessarily like how simple it was, but it was getting close to seven and he was done stressing.

He opened the door to see his little sister letting Bokuto into the house. She turned at the sound of Akaashi walking towards her and immediately ran for him, pushing him back into his bedroom and leaving Bokuto alone in the foyer.

"You can't go out like that!" Akina cried, digging through the drawers again.

"But this is what you told me to wear—"

"Put this on over it. I'm gonna go talk to your boyfriend."

"He's not my—"

The door was slammed in his face and he was left standing there with something in his hand. It was a grey and black plaid shirt, and he put it on over his white one quickly. Akaashi started to button it up, but Akina yelled at him to hurry up and he rushed out of the room before he could finish, phone in hand.

"I want him home by midnight," Akina said, wagging a finger at Bokuto's chest. (Her short arms couldn't reach his face.) "Don't do anything too reckless. Have fun!"

"Akina, stop acting like Mom," Akaashi grumbled. "You're nine."

"Byeee!" She shoved the two out the front door and closed it behind them.

Bokuto laughed quietly as he walked off of the porch. "Your sister seems nice."

"She's just like that until she wants something."

"She said she wants me to come with you guys when you go back to Tokyo."

"Oh, I'm really sorry about her. She doesn't understand that you have your own life here."

"It's okay!" Bokuto said, dropping his hands so they were next to Akaashi's. Their fingers brushed gently and Akaashi felt a strong desire to hold Bokuto's hand. He moved his fingers slightly so he could take Bokuto's, but then thought twice and folded his arms over his chest. A second later he adjusted his hands once again, this time so he could mess with his fingers.

As they walked, the sun was slowly diving beneath the horizon, painting the sky brilliant shades of pink and blue. There wasn't a single cloud in sight, leaving the sky clear.

"After I graduate, I think I'm going to move out of this small town," Bokuto said quietly.

"Really?" Akaashi said, a bit too hopeful with his tone.

"Yeah. And go to college. Probably somewhere with a good volleyball team."

"Well, good luck. I hope you get in, wherever you decide to go."

"Thank you, Akaashi." Bokuto turned to smile softly at him. "Oh, hey, we're here."

The two had reached a small clearing where a group of other people were gathering, waiting anxiously for the show to start. Rows of small food booths were set up at the back of the clearing, lines already forming to get snacks.

"I'm going to go get something," Bokuto said. "Do you want anything?"

"I'm okay."

"Okay, I'll be right back. Don't go too far so I can find you when I come back," he added with a laugh.

Bokuto walked off, leaving Akaashi alone in the large crowd. He stood casually and watched all kinds of people swarm around him, suddenly delving into his own mind so he didn't have to worry about the crowd.

A part of him wished that this was in fact a date—he wouldn't mind, considering it was with Bokuto. But the other part of him, the part that was rational, reminded him why it couldn't be.

Just like Akaashi had told his sister, he would be leaving in just over a week. He couldn't do that to Bokuto—or to himself.

A sudden flash of light and loud boom made Akaashi jump, both out of his thoughts and off the ground. When he looked up, he realized it was only the firework show, which had just started.

Another firework shot up into the sky, exploding into bright colors and creating a loud, explosive boom. As the light faded, the scent of smoke started to fill the air, making Akaashi cough for a quick moment.

He stared up at the sky, taking in everything: the vivid bursts of color, the popping sounds, and the smoky haze around himself and the other viewers.

Akaashi jumped when Bokuto appeared next to him, holding two cones of shaved ice. "I felt bad not getting you something," he explained, handing one of the cones to him.

"Oh, thank you."

Bokuto was standing dangerously close to Akaashi—their arms were pushed up against each other, and Akaashi found himself torn between wanting to be closer to stepping away.

Oh, curse his rational thoughts.

Suddenly, Bokuto snaked his arm around Akaashi's waist, pulling him even closer. Now Alaashi's arm was against Bokuto's chest, and he was scared by how much he enjoyed the physical contact. He almost found himself leaning his head on Bokuto's shoulder, but a loud firework went off above them, and he let his rationality control him once again.

"They're very loud," Akaashi said, stating the obvious.

"It's part of the experience," Bokuto answered. "Even though the noise is a lot and the smell isn't the best, it's fun. In a way, I think that can be said about a lot of things."

"You're being metaphorical. Stop."

Bokuto shrugged. "I just want to impress you, pretty boy."

Akaashi felt his face heat up at the comment. "Why do you always call me that?"

"Because you're pretty."

The shorter boy started to protest, but Bokuto stopped him.

"Really, Akaashi. I just—ugh, I don't even know how to put it into words. The word 'pretty' doesn't even do you justice," he said sheepishly. "Ah, okay, this is going to sound really cheesy, but that will help further my point." Bokuto took a deep breath. "You know how it feels when you're, like, walking on the beach at sunset? And the sun is at the perfect place, so it changes the sky but doesn't get in your eyes? And then you just look around you, and everything is so . . . nice that you just have to take a moment to appreciate it?" He looked into Akaashi's eyes, a smile tugging on his lips. "That's what it feels like to look at you. So, you're pretty. Accept it."

Akaashi was left speechless, barely able to muster a "thank you," let alone anything else. So instead, he simply smiled up at Bokuto, who was now staring up at the firework-clad sky. (Later, Akaashi was able to jokingly shove Bokuto's arm and complain about how cheesy his explanation was, but Bokuto could tell Akaashi secretly loved it.)

After that, Akaashi's smile stayed on his face the whole night.


	6. My Youth is Yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto gave Akaashi's hand a reassuring squeeze and let go of his waist, spreading that arm out instead. Akaashi hesitantly moved closer to him, resting his head on Bokuto's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around him. The two were close—extremely close. Head against shoulder, bare chest against bare chest, swim trunks against swim trunks. Akaashi had never been so close with someone, and he was slightly nervous. He didn't mind, though—he was enjoying this. (His rational thoughts screamed at him to stop, but he focused on the soft lyrics of the song instead.)
> 
> "And when the lights start flashing like a photobooth and the stars exploding, we'll be fireproof."

It was nearly five in the afternoon, and Akaashi and his sister were standing in the kitchen, cutting up fruit in peaceful silence when a knock sounded from the door. "I'll get it," Akaashi said, but his mom beat him there.

"Hi, you must be Bokuto!" she said enthusiastically as she opened the door. "Keiji has told me all about you." Then, under her breath, she added, "Thank you for bringing my son out of his shell. He usually doesn't go out much, but lately it seems he's been out of the house often more than not."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He, ah, didn't have many close friends back in Tokyo."

"No way! Akaashi is a great person to be friends with."

"Thank you, Bokuto. I'm glad Keiji met you."

"Me too."

"Mom? Is that Bokuto?" Akaashi asked loudly.

"Yes, Keiji."

"Hi, Bokuto!" Akina yelled.

Akaashi left the kitchen and walked to the door, stepping around his mom to see Bokuto. "We'll go ahead and head down to the beach."

"Okay, we'll be down soon," Mrs Akaashi said. "Wait, first, can you set up a few umbrellas down there? Thank you, Keiji."

"Sure."

Bokuto and Akaashi grabbed the two closed beach umbrellas from their place outside on the front porch and worked together to carry them to the shore, where they set them up quickly. Bokuto had even brought a speaker to play music on, and he turned on a playlist of songs he had made Akaashi listen to just a few days earlier. Once they had everything put together, Bokuto stripped off his shirt and turned to Akaashi, who had accidentally been staring and looked away quickly. "I have a volleyball if you want to play," Bokuto said.

"Okay."

Once the two arrived at the net just a few meters away, they decided not to have a winner since it was just the two of them, but the game started soon, and every time Bokuto scored a point, he would jump up and yell, "Yes! I'm the best!" That was, until his receive sent the ball all the way into the water and he had to begrudgingly retrieve it.

"I can't play anymore, Akaashi," he whined, placing the back of his hand on his forehead dramatically. "Hurry up and win."

"There isn't going to be a winner, Bokuto. We're just playing."

"But did you see my receive? I can't play anymore."

"That was just one ball. You've scored thirteen other points."

Bokuto gasped enthusiastically. "You're right! Wait, Akaashi, can you set to me?"

"Sure, Bokuto." He walked over to Bokuto's side of the net and grabbed the ball. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah!"

Akaashi tossed the ball into the air directly above him and shot it forwards as soon as it touched his fingertips. The ball spun slightly, flying straight towards Bokuto's arm. He hit the ball with such intensity it kicked sand high into the air when it hit the other side of the net, and he cheered, raising his arms up in victory.

"Did you see that? Didja see that, Akaashi?"

"Yes, Bokuto. It was amazing."

He grinned, and his golden eyes were so bright they looked like stars. Akaashi felt his own lips curve upwards just at the sight of Bokuto so unequivocally happy. As strange as he thought it was, Akaashi would have done anything to see Bokuto's smile again. The way it titled to one side slightly, how the laugh lines by his eyes became immediately visible, and the light shining in his eyes all made his smile just perfect.

Bokuto decided that he no longer wanted to play against Akaashi—he'd had too much fun hitting his toss. So, the two remained on the same side of the court, and Akaashi continued to set for Bokuto, finding the perfect place to send the ball every time. They took turns collecting the volleyball, but Bokuto kept trying to race Akaashi to get it first. Most times when that happened, Akaashi just stopped running and let Bokuto grab it.

A good forty-five minutes passed before Akaashi's fingers started to cramp up, making him slow down how often he set. He didn't say anything, but Bokuto noticed the way he bit his lip to take away from the pain and the pauses in between tosses. Instead of calling Akaashi out, though, he said, "Why don't we go swimming? It's really hot."

Akaashi smiled to himself. "Sure."

~~~

The sun went down quickly, slowly setting the world into darkness as stars appeared in the sky, twinkling and dancing so far away.

Bokuto and Akaashi were out in the ocean, just deep enough that their heads were still above the water. Akaashi's mom called their names, asking they return to the shoreline, and Bokuto took the other boy's hand—possibly unconsciously—as they moved. Akaashi found it peculiar, but he didn't mind. Bokuto's hand was warm while the water was cold. It was nice.

Bokuto let go as soon as they stepped out of the water, but he didn't comment on it. Akaashi instantly began to mess with his fingers.

"We have barbeque!" Mrs Akaashi said excitedly, pointing to the grill behind her.

"Yum! Thank you!" Bokuto answered, practically running to Akaashi's dad, who was picking up the food and putting it on thin paper plates.

Akaashi followed his friend, taking a plate and thanking his dad as he did. Bokuto sat down on a towel that had once been under the tall umbrellas, but they had been taken down earlier in the night, so the clear sky above was visible. Akaashi sat down next to him, eating his food quietly as he stared up at the star-filled sky. Their shoulders were touching, and Akaashi had the overwhelming urge to lay his head on Bokuto's.

Apparently, so did Bokuto.

He leaned over and put his head on Akaashi's shoulder, adjusting slightly so that he was comfortable. He was humming softly to his music, which was still playing over the speaker he had brought.

"Are you tired?" Akaashi whispered.

"No," Bokuto said. "You're just comfortable."

The two sat together, simply eating their dinner as the repetitive sound of waves flowed through their ears. A song Akaashi vaguely recognized started playing, and Bokuto tapped his foot to the beat. Akaashi's parents and sister were laughing from their places a few paces away, all sitting on one towel facing the water. A few moments passed, each filled with the calm ambience around them.

"Your dad is a good cook," Bokuto commented.

"Thanks." Akaashi paused. "We don't really see him often," he said slowly. "He works a lot. He always wanted a close family, though, so he takes a break once a year to take us on these trips. They're his way of both apologizing and spending time with us, I guess."

"That's kinda stupid."

"Yeah. But the trips can be fun," Akaashi said. "Especially this one."

"Well, I'm glad you like my small little town," Bokuto answered cheekily. "Oh, Akaashi, guess what today is."

"August 10th?"

"No—well, yes, but no. It's my favorite day."

"Why?"

"Because today has been the best day ever."

"Why is today the best?"

"I'm at the beach!"

"But you live on the beach," Akaashi said, confused. "What makes this time special?"

"You."

Akaashi bit back a smile. "Then today is also my favorite day," he said softly.

"Aww, Akaashi!"

"Shush."

"Hey, Keiji?" Mrs Akaashi walked over to the two boys. "Your father and I are going to go back inside. Akina, too. You two don't have to come with us, but don't stay out too late. Also, Bokuto," she said, turning to look at him, "feel free to spend the night. It's late, and I'm sure you'll be exhausted from all the swimming once you two are done."

"Thank you," Bokuto said, picking up his head from Akaashi's shoulder.

"Be careful if you swim more," she added. "Oh, and I'll take your plates inside. I think that's all. Goodnight, Keiji and Bokuto."

"Goodnight, Mom," Akaashi said.

She grabbed the empty paper plates and Akina's hand and walked back to the house. Mr Akaashi picked up the two now-unnecessary umbrellas and joined them on their short trek, leaving the two boys alone.

Bokuto turned to Akaashi and held out his hand for him to take. "Dance with me?"

Akaashi didn't want to crush the adorably hopeful look on his face, but he had only one answer: "No."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't dance."

"That's okay! You can just follow my movements."

"No."

"Pleeease?" he asked, stretching out the vowels in the word.

". . . Fine."

"Yay!"

Akaashi took his hand and stood up while Bokuto chose a specific song on his phone. Once it started playing, he smiled and intertwined his fingers with Akaashi's.

"I'll guide you," Bokuto said softly, putting his free hand on Akaashi's waist. "You don't need to stare at your feet the whole time."

"I don't want to step on you—"

"It's okay, Akaashi. Let yourself enjoy this."

Akaashi took a deep breath to calm himself and looked up at Bokuto. Their eyes met, and neither of them could look away. Bokuto's golden ones seemed to shine even in the low lighting, and he smiled as he led Akaashi in small, loose circles, moving to the gentle melody of the song.

" _What if, what if we run away? What if we left today? What if we say goodbye to safe and sound?_ "

Bokuto winced. Akaashi had stepped on his  
toe, and now he was apologizing profusely, trying to watch his feet so he didn't accidentally step on Bokuto again. He just laughed since he was in no real pain.

"It's okay, Akaashi. Here, if you're really that scared of stepping on me, we don't have to dance. We can just, like, sway, or something. Come here."

Bokuto gave Akaashi's hand a reassuring squeeze and let go of his waist, spreading that arm out instead. Akaashi hesitantly moved closer to him, resting his head on Bokuto's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around him. The two were close—extremely close. Head against shoulder, bare chest against bare chest, swim trunks against swim trunks. Akaashi had never been so close with someone, and he was slightly nervous. He didn't mind, though—he was enjoying this. (His rational thoughts screamed at him to stop, but he focused on the soft lyrics of the song instead.)

" _And when the lights start flashing like a photobooth and the stars exploding, we'll be fireproof._ "

Akaashi recognized the song from the time Bokuto had made him listen to his music with him, but he didn't know it well enough to remember the melody. Bokuto, however, was humming along, probably wishing he could sing but choosing not to.

" _My youth, my youth is yours, trippin' on skies, sippin' waterfalls_."

The song was playing softly over the speakers, just loud enough for the two to hear it clearly. The passion in the singer's voice alone was enough to make Akaashi grin.

" _My youth, my youth is yours, runaway now and forevermore._ "

The two boys kept swaying softly, staying in one spot rather than trying to move around. Akaashi felt himself smiling against Bokuto's bare shoulder, beyond happy.

" _My youth, my youth is yours, a truth so loud you can't ignore. My youth, my youth, my youth, my youth is yours._ "

The older of the two grinned to himself, laughing quietly. "Are you having fun?"

Akaashi just hummed in response. One of his arms was around Bokuto's waist while his other was up against the other boy's, their hands softly intertwined. A light breeze brushed over the two, making Akaashi shiver slightly. Bokuto wrapped his arm around him tighter, and now there was nothing between them beside their swimsuits.

The last notes of the song played and the music stopped, basking the area in silence. Bokuto and Akaashi didn't stop swaying, though. They were so calm, so at peace when they were with each other, and neither wanted to let go quite yet.

They held on to each other for another few minutes, but all too soon, they split apart, both suddenly missing the warmth the other gave off. Their hands were still intertwined, and Bokuto glimpsed out at the ocean. "You want to go swimming again?"

Akaashi just wanted to hold Bokuto again, but he wasn't going to say that. So he just nodded, and soon, they were back in the water.

They walked next to each other into the water until they were chest-deep, then Akaashi was standing in front of Bokuto, squeezing his hand.

He wanted more than just hand-holding. He wanted more than just dancing. He wanted to be close to Bokuto, wanted to make him feel the same way he did whenever they were touching, even if it was just something simple like the tips of their fingers. He wanted more.

A cool splash of water hit Akaashi's face and he gasped, looking up to see Bokuto giggling.

Akaashi smirked. Bokuto had just started a battle he definitely shouldn't have.

The two began splashing each other with the salty water, their intertwined hands suddenly no longer intertwined. They were both laughing, swimming around each other to try and avoid getting splashed. Akaashi sent a bunch of water at Bokuto and it hit him head-on; when he shook his head to clear off the water, his normally tall hair was flat and sticking to his forehead. He brushed it to the side quickly since he didn't have time to fix it.

Akaashi smiled at the sight. Even without his usual hairstyle, he was still cuter than anyone he had ever seen.

Bokuto splashed him again, and Akaashi snapped out of his mind's quick tangent, focusing again on the boy in front of him. His grin didn't diminish, even as he splashed Bokuto again.

He retaliated with another splash in return. Akaashi was ready to continue their epic battle, but then something soft and slimy brushed against his ankle, making him squirm and swim backwards. "There's something in the water," he said shakily.

He flinched again when he bumped into Bokuto. Akaashi turned around to face him and saw he was laughing quietly.

"It's just seaweed," Bokuto explained. "It can't hurt you."

Akaashi looked away, still somewhat nervous about the "mysterious sea creature." He held his own arms, avoiding Bokuto's eyes even though he was just mere inches in front of him.

The older boy swam closer to Akaashi, golden eyes shining with glee. Suddenly, they were close again, their warm bodies pressed against each other in the cool water. Bokuto put his hands on Akaashi's hips carefully while the dark-haired boy looked up to gaze into Bokuto's face, memorizing every small detail.

The black and white hair that was soaked and stuck to his forehead, the gleam in his golden eyes that showed up whenever he looked at Akaashi, the light blush visible on his cheeks, the way he was biting his bottom lip slightly as he pulled Akaashi closer—it was imprinted in his mind like a photograph, one he would save forever.

Oh, how Akaashi was living for this moment.

Bokuto started leaning in, his face getting closer to Akaashi's with every second, and Akaashi loved it. He loved the sight, he loved the idea, he loved that he was moving in sync with Bokuto, leaning in and closing his eyes slowly, just barely open enough to still see what he was doing—

Akaashi put his hand in between their lips.

Bokuto opened his eyes, surprised at the unexpectedly different contact. His lips brushed against Akaashi's fingers, but he didn't speak.

"We can't," Akaashi whispered, pain hidden somewhere deep in his tone.

Bokuto nodded slowly to show he understood, but he grabbed Akaashi's hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. Akaashi blushed slightly before intertwining his fingers with Bokuto's again.

Even though he knew he had done the right thing by stopping what was about to happen, Akaashi couldn't stop the regret he felt about his decision. He had wanted that so badly, and then he went and ruined it all.

There were some moments where he wished he wasn't going back to Tokyo in just over a weeks. This was one of those moments.

~~~

"Doesn't it feel so much better to have your stuff easily accessible?" Bokuto teased as he closed Akaashi's bedroom door.

"Somewhat." Akaashi was already pulling pajamas out of the drawer. "Do you need a shirt or something to sleep in? You can't exactly wear your swimsuit to bed."

"Is that a challenge?"

"No, it's a statement."

"It sounded like a challenge."

Akaashi threw one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants at Bokuto, who caught them easily. "Go put these on," he said.

"Hmph. Okay."

Akaashi himself quickly changed into a different pair of sweatpants and an oversized shirt—his favorite thing to wear (because of how comfortable it is).

Once they were settled and properly dressed, they both laid down in the bed, a foot of space in between them. Akaashi was staring up at the ceiling, and Bokuto was staring at Akaashi. He turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

"Hey, Akaashi?" Bokuto whispered.

"Yes, Bokuto?"

"You know, you really are beautiful."

Akaashi reached for Bokuto's hand and squeezed it silently.


	7. I Never Get Bored of Looking At You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi was falling for this boy, and he was falling hard. Of course, if he told Bokuto that, he would say that he would catch Akaashi, but what would happen when Bokuto was no longer there to catch him? What would happen when Akaashi was back in Tokyo?

"Hey, Akaashi?"

The boy in question kept his eyes closed, letting a small groan escape his lips. He didn't answer, hoping Bokuto would go back to being quiet. Akaashi has been on the brink of unconsciousness for the past half hour, and he wanted nothing more than to simply fall asleep at that very second.

Next to him, Bokuto shifted, and Akaashi finally gave up on trying to sleep, sitting straight up and turning to face the other boy. "Yes?" His voice was low and raspy, more of a rough whisper than anything else.

"I can't sleep."

"Have you tried closing your eyes and controlling your breathing?" Akaashi didn't mean for it to come off so harshly, but it was past three in the morning and he was tired. What, with the volleyball, sun, swimming, and lack of rest, he couldn't help feeling exhausted.

"Yeah, of course. I'm just not tired."

Akaashi rubbed at his eyes as he opened them, yawning soundlessly. "Why not?"

"I don't know," Bokuto said. He sounded like he was close to either crying or laughing, and Akaashi felt a sudden urge to reach out and hug him.

"Okay." Akaashi wasn't sure what came over him, but his exhaustion was replaced by a mysterious need to comfort Bokuto. "What do you want to do?"

"Oh, um, I don't know. You can go back to sleep if you want."

"I'd feel bad."

Bokuto sat up and turned so that he was facing Akaashi, their knees almost touching. "I guess we could take turns asking each other questions, or something."

"So . . . twenty questions?"

"Basically, but it sounds lame when you call it that."

"You're such a dork," Akaashi mumbled lovingly. "Okay, you go first."

"What? Why me?"

"You're the one who wanted to do this."

Bokuto sighed dramatically. "Fine. Uh, what's the most awkward thing you've ever experienced?"

"When I was thirteen, this girl told me she liked me, but I misheard her and thought she was talking about the moon, so I said something random. She thought I rejected her, so she ran away crying. I didn't even know what I had done wrong until all of her friends started giving me dirty looks in the hallways," Akaashi said, cringing at the memory. "I didn't really like her, though."

"Oh, ouch. I feel for her. But, I mean, I don't blame her for liking you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're Akaashi! How could people not like you?"

"You make me sound like some celebrity or something."

"Well, you are in my eyes."

Akaashi shook his head at the comment, but smiled anyway. "Is your hair dyed?" Finally, an answer to the question that had been bugging him.

"Yep!" Bokuto said, running his hand through it subconsciously. "I've been dying it since my second year of junior high."

"That's a long time."

"I know, right? It's cool." Bokuto noticed that Akaashi was fidgeting with his hands anxiously again, and, with as much softness as he could muster, considering it was past three in the morning and he was tired, put his own hands on top of Akaashi's. "What's your biggest fear?"

Akaashi took a deep gulp. The question had hit a nerve, and Akaashi was nervous. His stomach tied itself into knots and he would have been messing with his fingers if Bokuto hadn't been holding them. He wasn't used to talking to people about these kinds of things, especially when he knew they would be leaving his life soon. "Oh, uh. . . ."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I-I want to." The words surprised Akaashi just as much as they did Bokuto. He didn't know what made him say them, but something about it felt right, like some part of him know that Bokuto was someone he could trust with this. 

Bokuto squeezed his hands reassuringly. It almost seemed like he knew that Akaashi was debating whether or not he could trust him, and that small, comforting touch gave Akaashi his answer.

Akaashi bit his lip back and looked down at his hands, intertwined with Bokuto's. "I'm scared of getting hurt."

He instantly regretted saying the words. Why had he said them? Oh, God, this had been a bad idea.

"Oh," Bokuto said quietly, barely audible. "Why?"

Akaashi still didn't look up from his hands. He didn't want to see Bokuto's eyes, even though he knew they would be filled with nothing but adoration. Maybe that knowledge was part of the reason why.

Looking away was just easier.

"Because getting hurt sucks. It sucks when you fall and scrape your knee, it sucks when you get yelled at, it sucks when people leave. It hurts. I just . . . really hate it." Akaashi moved to take his hands back, wanting to wrap his arms around himself protectively, but he didn't need to.

Bokuto let go of Akaashis hands, and for a second, Akaashi was confused, sad, even, but then Bokuto practically threw his arms around him, wrapping him up in a tight, comforting hug. It took Akaashi a few moments to register what was going on—he didn't remember the last time he had been hugged. But as soon as he realized what was happening, he put his arms around Bokuto's torso, pulling him even closer in the process, and buried his face into his shoulder.

"I know," Bokuto whispered, rubbing Akaashi's back softly. Akaashi practically melted into the touch. "I know how much it hurts."

Akaashi didn't say anything. Truth be told, he didn't know what to say. There were so many possible responses, but none of them seemed right. Akaashi just grabbed fistfuls of Bokuto's shirt, trying to make the embrace stay the same for as long as he could.

The two stayed like that—together, in each other's arms—for a long time. Neither were quite sure how long since they didn't care enough to check the time, but it didn't matter. They just wanted to be with each other.

The tender moment was interrupted when Bokuto spoke. His words were sad and strained, like he was forcing his voice to stay steady.

"I'm sorry, Akaashi."

Akaashi wanted to see Bokuto's face—maybe it would have an explanation for his apology. On the other hand, Akaashi didn't want to let go of him, so he opted for the next best thing: "Why?"

"You're so scared of getting hurt and people leaving, but that's . . . that's what is going to happen. You're going to get hurt when you leave."

In the moment Akaashi took to respond, the silence was practically deafening. It screamed into their ears, begging for something, anything to interrupt it. It took far too long for Akaashi's answer to come, and it was almost worse than the silence itself.

"I know."

He hugged Bokuto tighter.

~~~

Akaashi's eyes drifted open, squinting as soon as he saw how bright it was in his room. The paper-thin white curtains that covered his windows did little to shield the sunlight that streamed into the room every morning; hence why he had fallen asleep facing away from the windows.

Bokuto, however, had not.

Akaashi found it astonishing how he could sleep even with the bright light shining in his eyes. He had never been able to do that, not since he was a kid.

The dark-haired boy shifted to get up, but stopped as soon as he noticed the arm around his waist. Bokuto must have accidentally thrown it over Akaashi while he was sleeping, but now Akaashi was rooted in place since he didn't want to wake the other.

Because he couldn't think of anything better to do without moving his body, Akaashi simply glanced around the room, staring at the walls and furniture he had grown so accustomed to in the past three weeks. After he and Bokuto had unpacked his bag, Akaashi had stopped thinking of the room as less of a place to stay but more as a nice place to call his own when he wasn't doing something outside. It was the same way he thought of his own bedroom back in Tokyo, and he was surprisingly happy that he had found that same sense of comfort someplace so far away.

Then his eyes drifted to Bokuto.

Akaashi couldn't help but admire his features. Even though he was snoring and drooling slightly, he looked calm, peaceful even. His bi-colored hair was still down, laying somewhat flat (minus the tuffs of bedhead sticking up). With his arm over Akaashi's waist and Akaashi's oversized grey shirt on him, Bokuto looked just as beautiful as he did the first day he and Akaashi met.

This sight, where Bokuto was the first person Akaashi saw when waking up, was one Akaashi wanted to get used to. He would have done anything to get to see that every morning. Waking up next to Bokuto, this person he had grown so close to in the past few weeks, would have made him so undeniably happy—he felt himself smiling at the mere idea. There Bokuto was, sleeping soundly next to Akaashi, and he wanted nothing more than for this to become a normal occurrence.

God, he was so beautiful.

Akaashi was falling for this boy, and he was falling hard. Of course, if he told Bokuto that, he would say that he would catch Akaashi, but what would happen when Bokuto was no longer there to catch him? What would happen when Akaashi was back in Tokyo?

It was coming sooner than he hoped.

~~~

Akaashi very carefully lifted Bokuto's arm off of his waist and put it next to him on the bed. Then, as quietly as possible, Akaashi stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door to give Bokuto the privacy to sleep longer.

"Good morning, Keiji," his mom said happily from the kitchen table. "Is Bokuto still asleep?"

"Yes," he answered, covering a yawn with his hand. "I think I'm going to make breakfast. Do you want some?"

"Please. Make some for Akina, too."

"Okay." Akaashi pulled out a few bowls as two doors opened. Bokuto stepped out of one, rubbing his eyes tiredly, and Akina ran out of the other with way too much energy, considering that it was still only nine in the morning.

"Bokuto!" she yelled, running up to hug him. "Good morning."

"'Morning," he said with a stifled yawn. "Ooh, your hair looks cool. Did you do it yourself?"

"Yep!" Her brown hair was in two braids that ran down her back, stopping right underneath her shoulders.

"Wow, that's so awesome!" He kneeled down next to her and gave her a high-five. "Don't tell your brother, but your hair is cooler than his."

"I think he knows," Akina whispered back.

Bokuto laughed, and the two started talking about something random while Akaashi went back to his cooking. His mom walked into the kitchen to watch over him.

"Akina seems to really like Bokuto," she said, leaning against the counter. "He's such a nice kid. It's a shame we can't stay longer."

A pang of sadness hit Akaashi square in the heart, making him pause his movements for a minute. "Yeah," he choked out.

"You know, Keiji, I think I'm really going to miss this place. This trip has been fun."

"We still have six days."

"I know. It's just this trip was special."

Akaashi knew how she felt, but couldn't find the words to explain. He settled for a simple "Yeah."

He turned around as a yell sounded from behind the corner. "Forward, mighty steed!" Akina yelled. Bokuto came dashing forward, speed-walking to make sure he didn't drop Akina, who was on his shoulders and pointing forward. She was holding onto his hair to steer and her eyes were narrowed as if she were on a valiant quest. "Halt!"

Bokuto stopped suddenly and turned to face the kitchen (as guided by the nine-year-old on his shoulders).

"Keiji! What are you cooking?"

"Miso soup."

"That smells yummy! Can we have some?"

"When it's ready, sure."

Akina and Bokuto let out cheers of excitement and Akaashi couldn't help but smile at the grin plastered across Bokuto's face. A bittersweet feeling overcame him, eating up his insides and practically spitting them out in his face. Every second he saw Bokuto, he was harshly reminded of what he would be leaving in just a few days.

And it hurt.

He didn't want to leave. He loved the rental house, he loved the beach, and he loved—

No.

He couldn't let himself fall for Bokuto any farther. Things that fall end up broken, and Akaashi wasn't prepared to handle that. 

He told himself he was doing this for Bokuto's sake—that he didn't want him to get hurt either. He told himself he was doing the best thing, for both him and the other teen. The truth was, he had no clue what the best thing to do was, so he told himself it was this.

So after eating the breakfast Akaashi cooked, he and Bokuto went outside to talk on the front porch. Bokuto had already collected all of his things, which was limited to just his phone and swimsuit, and was ready to head home. He was still wearing the shirt and sweatpants he had borrowed, but Akaashi said he could keep them.

Akaashi leaned against the railing on the far end and Bokuto stood a few feet away. He must have sensed the apprehension in the air, because his eyes kept darting around from place to place and he couldn't stand still.

"I'm, uh, really sorry about last night," Bokuto started, rubbing the back of his neck shyly.

Akaashi took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and looked up at the ceiling to make sure the tears welling in his eyes didn't dare fall down his face.

He willed his voice to not shake with every fiber of his soul, and, both fortunately and unfortunately, his tone steeled, coming out much colder than he intended it to. "I don't think we should see each other anymore, Bokuto."


	8. Kiss Me Hard Before You Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi smiled, a smile so bright and genuine and so uniquely him that Bokuto couldn't help but grin back, and then they were both beaming, just looking at each other and smiling because they were there, and they were together, and when they were together, they didn't have to think about the fact that Akaashi was leaving in less than sixteen hours.

The next week passed at a marvellously slow rate.

Akaashi continuously moved from place to place, hoping to find some way to both pass the time and distract himself from the boy he had grown so close to.

So far, it hadn't worked very well.

He went to a museum with his sister and saw Bokuto walking across the street. He tried swimming at the beach, but was reminded of the night he had spent with Bokuto. Even his room wasn't safe, considering Bokuto was the one who had helped him to get comfortable in the unfamiliar house.

Akaashi hadn't realized how much time he spent with Bokuto until the most exciting thing he did one day was watch an entire season of Akina's favorite show with her. He had stopped helping out at the store Bokuto worked at, and now his days were empty.

It was lonely without Bokuto around so much.

He had grown so used to having him around all the time that he couldn't remember what it was like before they had met.

He hated to admit it, but he really missed Bokuto. It physically hurt him—as in, he could literally feel his heart clench when he thought about never seeing him again.

He missed him to badly that, on his last full day at the beach, he found himself crying.

Akaashi was standing in his room, staring down at his open drawer and the folded clothes inside it. His empty bag was unzipped and sitting on top of the dresser, ready for him to put his belongings back into it. Only, Akaashi didn't want to.

He had always hated packing. It didn't matter when, or where, or how long he was staying somewhere. He just hated packing his bags.

Right now, though, Akaashi had never, ever despised it more.

He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to leave this small town, he didn't want to leave the beach, and most of all, he didn't want to leave Bokuto.

The entire past week, he had been lying to himself, trying to convince himself that he had done the right thing by pushing Bokuto away. Leaving would hurt less if they didn't see each other again, right?

Again and again, he repeated that to himself like a mantra. But still, he found himself dabbing at his eyes rapidly, trying to wipe away his tears as they rolled down his face.

He had always hated this part of his trips.

Eventually, he sat down on the floor, clutching his knees to his chest as he cried quietly. He felt oddly strange crying, as if he were imposing on his own personality by showing his emotions.

He just didn't want to leave.

"Hey, Keiji, do you want to take a walk on the beach? Whoa, wait, what's wrong? Keiji?"

Akina walked into Akaashi's room without knocking and saw him on the floor. She kneeled next to him, placing a small hand on her brother's knee.

He picked up his head and wiped away his tears, nodding slowly. "A walk sounds great."

~~~

Akina danced around, kicking sand up in the air and twirling without a care in the world. A few feet behind her, Akaashi was walking calmly, fidgeting with his fingers just like he always did. Since they left the rental house, neither Akaashi nor his sister had brought up that he had been crying, though he knew Akina was curious about it (despite not acting like it).

The sun was dropping in the sky, bringing on the last sunset Akaashi would see there at the beach. A few grey clouds hung in the blue sky, floating aimlessly with the wind. By the horizon, the sky was turning shades of pink and purple as the sun slowly made its descent, and in front of it, the blue ocean was moving just as rhythmically as always, with shallow waves riding up and down the shoreline without doing anything more than just dragging bits of sand back into the water. The sound of the waves was calming to Akaashi, and he took a deep breath, trying to enjoy it all before his inevitable leave tomorrow.

The peaceful sound of the ocean was interrupted by Akina, who had stopped her animated walk to go to Akaashi's side and tug on the hem of his shirt, saying, "Keijiiii. What's going on?"

"Nothing," he mumbled. He wanted to get back to enjoying the sunset.

"That's not true!" Akina stomped one of her small, bare feet in the sand. "Something's wrong."

Akaashi chose to ignore her whines, even as she tugged so hard on his shirt he was worried it might rip.

"Is it Bokuto?"

This caught Akaashi's attention, and he turned to look down at Akina. He made brief eye contact with her, but her bright, sky-blue eyes were piercing into his ocean-colored ones which such intensity he had to look away, fearing that she would see too much of his soul if he let her stare for too long.

"Why haven't you seen him this week, Keiji?"

"I, um, thought it was better if we didn't hang out."

"What?" Akina cried, outraged. She sounded personally offended, almost as if Akaashi had said that about her, rather than Bokuto. "That's wrong! You two obviously like each other." She went quiet for a moment as her eyes grew wide, realization dawning on her. "Do you . . . do you love him?"

"N-no," Akaashi said quickly. "A month isn't long enough to fall in love with someone, Akina."

"Hmph." She tapped her foot in the sand impatiently. "What if you had more than a month? Do you think you could love him then?"

Akaashi kneeled down so their eyes were level. " . . . Maybe."

Akina gasped excitedly. She seemed extremely happy about her brother's vague answer, though he wasn't sure why. Suddenly, she grabbed his hand, pulling him back to his feet.

"Go find him! Go talk to him! Tell him you're sorry and that you like him! Gooo!"

"Akina, I can't just—"

The young girl grinned and let go of his hand, running back the way they came. "Go get your man!"

"Akina!"

Akaashi's yell fell on deaf ears, as Akina was already halfway across the short distance they had walked. She was going back to the beach house, leaving Akaashi alone in the sand.

He sighed, wishing Bokuto was there to stop him from fidgeting with his hands so much.

Suddenly, he was walking, his feet moving him forward without his permission. He wanted to stop, to turn around and go back to the house without seeing Bokuto, but another part of him needed him to keep moving forward.

So he did.

He knew exactly where to go.

Akaashi could feel his mixed emotions building up in his body—his heart swelling with joy, his stomach reeling with anxiety, his mind crawling with a strange mixture of both pain and love—all for Bokuto.

He needed to see him. Akaashi was so scared, so sad, so bittersweet about it, yet that didn't diminish the need at all. In the short time Bokuto had been in Akaashi's life, he had practically turned it upside down, changing so many things about it—all for the better.

Bokuto taught him that what mattered was the bond and memories you shared with people, even if they leave.

Akaashi couldn't have been more grateful to have met him. And then, with the brutal strength of a bullet train, Akaashi remembered that he had told Bokuto they shouldn't talk. He was the reason he hadn't seen Bokuto in almost a week, and that hurt. He felt so much guilt build up and root inside his stomach he almost had to stop running to be sick.

He hadn't even noticed that he'd started running.

Oh, how he needed to see him.

He kept moving forward. 

As soon as he reached the cliff, he started sprinting, reaching the top as fast as he possibly could.

The sun was going down quickly, making the sky beautiful—but Akaashi, well, he didn't even notice. As soon as he saw the familiar head of white and black hair, he made a break for him, throwing his arms around the boy as soon as he reached him. (Luckily, he had been standing in the middle of the cliff rather than at the edge.)

There, back in Bokuto's arms, Akaashi felt himself unravel. All of his worries, his sadness, his bittersweet longing—every negative feeling dispersed, and he melted into Bokuto's touch.

"Akaashi?" Bokuto said, a pleasantly surprised glint in his tone. He returned the embrace without a moment's hesitation. "I thought you said—"

"I know." Akaashi's voice was muffled against Bokuto's shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry."

Bokuto pulled away from the hug to put their foreheads together. "It's okay, Akaashi."

Akaashi looked down to avoid meeting Bokuto's brilliant golden eyes. "God, I'm so sorry. I was being selfish and impulsive."

"You were trying to protect yourself. It's okay."

"No, it isn't, I—"

Bokuto put his hand on Akaashi's chin, gently making him look up. "It's really okay. I would never want you to get hurt."

"Thank you, Bokuto."

He placed a soft kiss on Akaashi's forehead. "God, I'm so glad to see you again," he whispered. "Can I . . . ask why? Why you came back? Aren't you scared you'll get hurt?"

Akaashi smiled softly, placing his hands on Bokuto's shoulders. Tears were collecting in his eyes, ready to spill out at any second. He wasn't quite sure if they were happy tears or sad ones, but he didn't care. He was there with Bokuto, and that was all that mattered.

"You're worth getting hurt for." Akaashi was quiet, his voice shaking slightly but still steady as he spoke. There was no doubt about it, he believed in his words with every fiber of his being. "Oh, God, Bokuto, you're so, so worth it. I would do anything to be with you, I don't care how much longer, but . . . I just want to be with you."

Bokuto brought his hands up to softly cup Akaashi's face, touching him so gently it felt like he was worried any contact might harm him.

"Me too," Bokuto said quietly. "Me too."

Akaashi smiled, a smile so bright and genuine and so uniquely him that Bokuto couldn't help but grin back, and then they were both beaming, just looking at each other and smiling because they were there, and they were together, and when they were together, they didn't have to think about the fact that Akaashi was leaving in less than sixteen hours.

And then a crazy idea popped into Akaashi's head, and his hand left Bokuto's shoulder to grab the collar of his shirt. Akaashi pulled Bokuto to him, and then he closed the small space between them by kissing him.

Akaashi had wanted this so very much. He'd wanted it since that night when they went swimming, when Bokuto had tried to kiss him—no, before that. He had wanted this since he met Bokuto, with his two-toned hair and captivating personality. And now, Akaashi finally had it.

Oh, how he loved it.

He was enjoying every second of this; the way Bokuto was kissing back just as eagerly as him, the blended colors of the sunset in the background, the soft breeze blowing around them, the way his hands had somehow made their way into Bokuto's hair. It was wonderful.

It pained him to pull away to breathe, but the soft whimper that escaped Bokuto made him giddy.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Bokuto said, his voice oh-so slightly hoarse.

"So are you."

Bokuto kissed him again. Akaashi smiled—it was just as wonderful as the first. As was the next, and the one after that, and every one that came after.

Akaashi loved this so much. He loved kissing Bokuto, and he never wanted this moment to end.

But, like all good things, it did.

And who was to blame?

Akaashi himself.

He had stopped Bokuto from kissing him by, once again, placing a hand in front of his mouth. Bokuto whined, and Akaashi looked away. He hadn't wanted to stop Bokuto, but he was scared. He was scared that if he didn't stop it, he would never stop wanting more, that he would never be satisfied with the way things were when he left, that he would never stop loving Bokuto and his kisses.

That may have been what he wanted.

The sun was far below the horizon by then. Bokuto walked over to the edge of the cliff and sat down, offering his hand to Akaashi so he could join him. He took it and carefully made his way over to the edge, taking a seat cautiously. His legs dangled over the cliff, making him nervous, so Akaashi scooted closer to Bokuto, holding onto his hand tighter.

Akaashi leaned his head on Bokuto's shoulder as they overlooked the ocean. "I don't want to leave," he whispered, voice breaking.

Bokuto kissed the top of Akaashi's head softly. "I don't want you to leave."

The words settled over them like a blanket, acting as a harsh reality check.

For a while, neither of them said anything. They just sat together and absorbed every bit of the moment—possibly the last they would be sharing with each other. Above them, the stars twinkled, looking down happily.

"Hey, Akaashi?" Bokuto said quietly.

"Yes?"

"Do you think we'll be able to see each other again once I graduate?"

"What do you mean?"

"After I graduate high school, do you think we can be close again? Maybe, I don't know, bring back whatever it is we have now?"

"I think I would like that a lot, Bokuto."

"Me too."

~~~

The next morning, Akaashi woke up in his room. After his eyes adjusted to the light, he stood up and instantly started putting his clothes from his drawer into his bag—he didn't even bother getting dressed in actual clothes. Nobody was going to stop him from wearing pajamas on the trip home.

This time, he didn't break down crying when he packed. Sure, he was bit sad as he relived the memory of Bokuto throwing his clothes into the single drawer, but it wasn't a crushing kind of sadness anymore. It was a fond memory now, one that Akaashi could actually smile about.

Maybe unpacking hadn't been such a bad thing after all.


	9. Epilogue | If You Wanted Me To Stick Around, I Could

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just the simple touch of their hands together made him euphoric—he was back with Bokuto, the boy who had captured both his attention and his heart and changed his life, all with just one summer.

Akaashi trudged home, exhausted after a long day of social interactions. Today, there had been even more socializing than usual due to the fact that it was graduation day. Akaashi and the rest of his year would be moving on to the third year, and they were _way_ too enthusiastic about it. At least, they were compared to Akaashi, who honestly couldn't have cared less.

The only thing Akaashi really cared about on that graduation day was Bokuto—but he hadn't texted him anything about it. They hadn't made plans, they hadn't seen when the other was busy, they hadn't even texted at all that entire day.

Akaashi was starting to worry Bokuto had forgotten, or, even worse, he didn't want to see him anymore. Anything could have happened to make Bokuto stop caring—heck, he lived seven hours away.

The worries plagued his mind, chipping away at his conscience and attacking his heart. He badly wanted to cry, not just for Bokuto, but also because he had actually grown attached to him. He had never—not in a million years—expected that the one he truly cared for would be the one he met on a summer road trip to a small, undistinguished down in Northern Japan.

Akaashi entered his house, taking in the welcoming scent of homemade taiyaki as he stepped out of his shoes. He glanced down at the other shoes against the wall and stared at the unfamiliar pair of sneakers resting by Akina's slippers. Slightly confused, he brushed it off, thinking it was probably nothing.

He headed straight for his room, where he put his bag down and changed out of his uniform into a sweater and jeans. Once he was done, he left his room and headed into the kitchen, where his mom was walking around, holding a plate of warm taiyaki.

"I made your favorites! Taiyaki and—" she held up another plate, "—nanohana no karashie!"

"Thanks, Mom," Akaashi said. "You're the best."

She smiled and set the plates down on the kitchen counter. "I thought I would make some snacks for you, your sister, and—"

"Keiji! Keiji! Keiji, hurry up, come on!" Akina shouted, running inside to grab Akaashi's hand and drag him towards the back door. "Why did you take so long getting home? Come onnn!"

"Akina, what's going on? Calm down."

"No! Hurry up!" she whined. She was giggling profusely in between words as she pulled her brother through the door and into the backyard. "Come onnn!"

"Okay, okay." Akaashi started walking with Akina and she stopped pulling his hand so tightly. "What's so important?"

"I have something to show you!"

"What is it?"

Akina successfully dragged Akaashi to the place she was hoping for, which was right under the cherry blossom tree they had in their backyard. "Look!"

Akaashi looked to where her finger was pointing. It took him a few long seconds to register what he was seeing, but when he realized, he couldn't stop a grin from growing on his face.

He dropped into the grass next to Bokuto, who was laying down and smiling at him. His hands were holding a small flower crown on his chest, which Akina was now trying to grab. He let go of it and she put it on her head, beaming at the two boys. "Now you two can really date! Because we're not leaving soon!" she said happily, dancing around at her own words.

Now that Bokuto's hands were free, he held one up in the air and Akaashi grabbed it, intertwining their fingers smoothly.

Oh, how Akaashi had missed this. He had missed this a _lot_.

Just the simple touch of their hands together made him euphoric—he was back with Bokuto, the boy who had captured both his attention and his heart and changed his life, all with just one summer.

Bokuto slowly rubbed Akaashi's finger with his thumb and propped himself up with his other arm. "Hi, pretty boy," he whispered, a soft smirk playing on his lips.

"Hi, Bokuto."

"Stop staring at each other with those lovey-dovey eyes!" Akina whined. "Just kiss already!"

Bokuto's smirk grew into a wide smile. "Well, we can't just ignore your sis—"

He was cut off by Akaashi, who had connected their lips without a moment's hesitation. Usually, he would have been more patient, but he had been waiting for this for way too long.

Akaashi pulled away for a second because he was smiling too much and Bokuto let out the smallest of whines, barely audible but still enough to drive him crazy.

"Akaashiii," Bokuto said, letting go of his hand to cup his cheek. He leaned into the touch, closing his eyes as Bokuto pulled their faces together again. Their foreheads touched gently as they kissed, and, wow, it was amazing. Akaashi's hands made their way to Bokuto, one ending up in his hair while the other was on his shoulder.

Behind them, Akina cleared her throat, reminding the two boys of her presence. "Bokuto! Wasn't there something you wanted to do?"

"Besides kiss Akaashi? Hm, not that I can think of."

"You dork!" Akina said, grabbing his hand and pulling him onto his feet. She grabbed his phone, which was laying in the grass a few feet away, and shoved it into his hand. "Remember? That song, uh, what was it called?"

"Oh! Yeah, I remember." Bokuto turned on his phone and clicked on something. A soft beat started playing from it and he dropped it into the grass next to him, holding his now free hands out to help Akaashi up. "Dance with me?"

"Oh, no, not this again. You know I can't dance."

"Pleaseee?" Bokuto stuck out his bottom lip in a pout, grabbing hold of Akaashi's hands as he stood up. "You did just fine last summer."

"But I stepped on your feet so much."

"It was fine. Come here, Akaashi."

"Call him Keiji!" Akina shouted. Suddenly, she gasped dramatically. "Bokuto! Can I call you Kouta-bro? Please?"

Bokuto laughed at her enthusiasm. "Of course!" He turned to Akaashi. "Is that okay? Can I call you Keiji?"

"Yes," he said, then added, "Koutarou."

"Kouta-bro! Kouta-bro!" Akina chanted. "Wait! The song is gonna end! Hurry up and dance!"

"Please?"

Akaashi sighed, putting his hands around Bokuto's neck as he put his hands on his waist. "Fine."

"Akina, play the song again!"

"You got it, Kouta-bro!"

The faint beat started playing again and they started swaying, moving around in slow, loose circles.

" _I've never held so tight, feels like the first time that I ever drove alone_."

Just like the time before, Bokuto was humming along quietly. He probably had the song memorized.

"Leaving for a holiday, wishin' that I could've stayed in the comfort of my home."

Suddenly, Bokuto started actually singing, albeit softly and seemingly nervously. His voice was slightly shaky, but nice, and he stared into Akaashi's eyes, willing him to keep eye contact instead of glancing down at their feet every two seconds. It worked, and soon, Akaashi relaxed, falling into a gentle rhythm of circular movements.

Akaashi didn't expect this song to be one good for dancing, but Bokuto made it perfect. As he sang the lyrics, he let go of Akaashi's waist and grabbed his hands from his shoulders, instead spinning him around quickly. He sang a bit louder as he moved with the beat, dancing carelessly with Akaashi.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, if you wanted me to stay around, I could." Bokuto's smile was infectious as he sang. "I said, oh, oh, oh, oh, if you really wanna settle down, I would."

Every single thing about this made Akaashi so happy he couldn't keep his smile from growing. The happiness on Bokuto's face, the cherry blossoms in the background, and the jovial song playing in their ears was all too perfect for words. Just the fact that he was with Bokuto again was enough to bring a smile to his face, let alone everything on top of that.

After another minute of dancing, the song ended, and the two fell back onto the grass, now laying next to each other with their hands entangled.

Akina handed Bokuto his phone and said, "Now for the final thing! Kouta-bro, you gotta ask for Keiji's hand in marriage!"

Both boys practically choked, sitting up so fast to look at the nine-year-old they almost hurt themselves. "What?"

"You two are obviously in loveee," she said, clasping her hands and holding them to her face as she looked off into the distance like some movie princess. "People get married when they're in love, right?"

"Well, yes, but we were only just reunited," Akaashi started. "It's too soon for that."

Akina frowned. "Then when is a good time for it?"

"Um," Akaashi said, stumbling over his words, "maybe when we've been together for more than a day?"

"Oh, so, like, tomorrow?"

"No—"

"So . . . in a week?"

"I think we should at least be officially dating before we even discuss this," Akaashi said to his sister.

Bokuto grinned and put his arm around Akaashi's shoulders. "That can be arranged, pretty boy."

Akaashi sighed and put his head in his hands, mostly to hide the smile growing in his face once again.

"So, what do you say? Will you be my boyfriend for real, Keiji?"

Bokuto's tone was so soft yet flirty that Akaashi felt himself melt. "Of course I will, Koutarou."

Akina squealed and Bokuto grinned, leaning over to kiss Akaashi's cheek.

"Kouta-bro! Tell Keiji the other good news you have!"

Akaashi leaned his head on Bokuto's shoulder as he listened. He kissed the top of his head and said, "I'm going to stay in Tokyo for a little while." Bokuto gave his shoulder a squeeze with the hand he still had wrapped around it. "That means you don't have to worry about me leaving anytime soon, pretty boy."

Akaashi couldn't stop himself from smiling even brighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh it’s over !! this fic was so so fun to write and ahh i’m so glad i finally finished it. i hope you guys enjoyed it just as much as i did :)


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